Elliott's Overtime Goal Lifts DePauw to Win over #20 Hope

August 31, 2012

Greencastle, Ind. – DePauw (1-0-0) used a balanced offensive attack and consistent defensive pressure to record a 3-2 double overtime victory over the 20th-ranked Hope College Flying Dutchmen (0-1-0) in the first game of the Robbie Dreher Memorial Wabash Classic on Friday afternoon at Boswell Field.

The opening match of the 2012 campaign had a little bit of everything including an own goal and three different goal scorers for DePauw. The Tigers' three scores marked the most against the Flying Dutchmen in nearly one year.

After Hope registered the first goal of the match in the second minute off of a defensive turnover in their own zone and a bending shot in the back of the net by Jeffrey Ekdom, DePauw controlled much of the next ten minutes.

In the 12th minute, midfielder Dean Weaver slipped a through pass from the top of the box to forward Nate Snyder, who settled the ball before driving a right-footed shot into the upper-left corner of the goal to tie up the score.

With the score tied 1-1, the rest of the first half went by without many chances for each side. After the first stanza, DePauw led in almost every statistical category, except the scoreboard.

DePauw started off the second half by pushing their forwards deeper into the Dutchmen zone. The change in strategy paid off as the Tigers took the lead for the first time after Adrian Ables collected the heading pass from Weaver and snapped a curving shot into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead in the 48th minute.

As it had done most of the second half, Hope played the ball down the right side of the pitch before crossing the ball into the box. After the ball caromed off several players, it ricocheted off a Tigers defenseman and past Tony Halterman to tie up the score, 2-2.

After a first overtime period that saw the Flying Dutchmen dominate with three scoring chances, the second stanza of extra time began with the Tigers controlling the possession.

Playing all over the field throughout the game, DePauw forward George Elliott had been unable to find an attacking lane until the 105th minute. Settling a blocked cross 10 yards from the left post, Elliott chipped the ball over a diving Dutchmen keeper for the game winner.

Halterman went the distance between the pipes for the Tigers, making two saves and collecting his first career victory.. Hope netminder Ben Lemmon spent the first half in net for the Dutchmen, saving four shots before David Abiers took the post for the final 59:05, making three saves.

DePauw finished with a mere 15-13 edge in shots, including a 10-4 margin in shots on goal.

DePauw will be back on the pitch at 2 p.m. Saturday when it plays Monmouth (Ill.) in its final game of the Robbie Dreher Memorial Wabash Classic.

For more information on the DePauw men’ssoccer program, follow DePauw on Twitter (@DePauwAthletics / @DePauwSoccer) or like them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DePauwAthletics).